BASEBALL; Mariners' Hernandez Is a Rookie Without a Worry at 19

By BOB SHERWIN; Tyler Kepner contributed reporting for this article.

Published: August 31, 2005

The Mariners rookie pitcher Felix Hernandez is all of 19 years old, and something is missing. With only five big-league outings, Hernandez is set to start Wednesday night against the Yankees. He will be opposed by the former Mariners icon Randy Johnson. The house will be full and the hope placed on Hernandez by this avid baseball community will be boundless.

So where is his nervousness? Where is his anxiety? When will his immaturity surface? So far, he is cool. His baby face is unpretentious and his smile effortless. He is so-what casual.

''They are like any other team,'' said Hernandez, spinning clich?beyond his years. ''I just try to do my job.''

For a guy whose future appears limitless, he stays well in the present.

''He hasn't done anything that suggests that he isn't ready to be here from a physical or emotional standpoint,'' said Bryan Price, the Mariners' pitching coach. ''He has the persona. He has a complete understanding that he has a lot of talent and that he's utilizing his talent. He has a delivery and an aura that represent a confident force.''

Such is the buildup surrounding Hernandez, a hard-throwing right-hander from Valencia, Venezuela. For him, the buildup has always been there, since he was 14 and he first caught the eye of a dozen big-league scouts. And if things had worked out a little differently, he might be in a Yankee uniform.

''They were the first ones to offer me a contract,'' Hernandez said. ''I just wanted to hear from other teams. It was my decision. I liked Seattle the best. I like the people very much.''

Gordon Blakeley, the Yankees' senior vice president for player personnel, confirmed Hernandez's recollection. ''We tried to sign him before the Mariners did,'' he said. ''I think we talked about $500,000, and at that time he was 16. We tried to jump in early, but he turned it down. We couldn't get it done.''

It helped the Mariners that Hernandez idolized his countryman Freddy Garcia, the team's ace in 2002, when Hernandez agreed to a $710,000 deal. Hernandez then burned through the Mariners' minor league system in two and a half seasons. He appeared in 58 games, 48 of them as a starter. He went 30-10 with a 2.59 earned run average. He had 363 strikeout and 122 walks in 3061/3. innings.

King Felix, as he would be called, made his major league debut Aug. 4 in Detroit. He was the youngest pitcher since 1984, when Jose Rijo appeared for the Yankees at age 19. Limited to 81 pitches, he went five innings, allowing three hits and one earned run in a 3-1 loss.

Then he faced Minnesota on Aug. 9, giving up five hits and no runs in a 1-0 victory. ''I don't think we're talking about poise here,'' Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire said afterward. ''I think we're talking about a 97-miles-per-hour fastball and a curveball from hell.''

In his next start, on Aug. 15 against Kansas City, he struck out 11 in an 11-1 victory. Hernandez became the first teenager with double-digit strikeouts in a game since Dwight Gooden for the Mets in 1984. Hernandez comes in against the Yankees with a 2-1 record and a 1.75 E.R.A. He has walked just 5 and struck out 38 in his 36 innings, and he did not allow an extra-base hit until his last start.

''He's going to face a patient club,'' reliever Jeff Nelson, a former Yankee, said of Wednesday night's confrontation. ''He's going to face a very experienced club, a team that's fighting for a playoff berth. That's a true test. I think everybody would like to see that.''

What makes Hernandez special goes beyond his fastball? His two other pitches are also outstanding -- a nearly overhand curveball and a low-80's changeup he can throw with precision.

''The whole world can hit a fastball if it's in the right place,'' Hernandez said. ''I just try to change it up.''

In the seventh inning against Kansas City, he had a hint of trouble with runners on first and third, two outs and a 3-2 count to Mark Teahen. Catcher Yorvit Torrealba called for a fastball. Hernandez shook him off. Torrealba called for it again and Hernandez shook him off again. ''I thought, 'O.K., this is interesting,''' Torrealba said. Hernandez came in with an 84-m.p.h. changeup, striking out Teahen.

''I've caught other young guys before and all they want to do is throw their fastball because that's their best pitch and they can locate it,'' Torrealba said. ''But this guy, for 19 years old, man, that's nice. He's acting like he's been around for a long time.''

Johnson, the 41-year-old five-time Cy Young award winner, is unburdened by the matchup but is worried about keeping the Yankees on a path to the playoffs. Hernandez, on the other hand, is worried about nothing.

''You watch the way he carries himself,'' Mariners Manager Mike Hargrove said. ''It's not arrogantly; it's confidently. You'd think he's old beyond his years, then you look at his eyes and think, 'This guy's a pup.' He's still a tender guy. Our job is to keep his feet on the ground.''

Photo: Felix Hernandez faces the Yanks with a 2-1 record and a 1.75 E.R.A. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images)